KR20000077203A - Deposition Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for depositing a layer of material on a workpiece. The apparatus comprises a chamber 11, a sputter target 12, a wafer support means 13, a wafer transfer hole 14 and a wafer transfer device 15.

The transfer device carries the wafer along the transfer path 16. An annular shield 19 is disposed between the support means 13 and the target 13 and is in the wafer transfer path.

The pin 30 raises the annular shield out of the conveyance passage 16.

Description

Deposition Apparatus

A device for depositing a layer of material on a workpiece of the present invention.

In many manufacturing processes, including the manufacture of semiconductor devices, sensors and MEMS, it is necessary to deposit a layer or thin film of material onto the workpiece.

In physical deposition, there is a material resource in the chamber and therefore the material is discharged from the resource to the material forming the layer.

The resource of material may be a sputter target or may be a deposition resource or other resource of the material forming part of the deposition layer.

In many cases the material is deposited not only on the workpiece but also in other parts of the chamber where the process takes place.

Traditionally, the solution has been to cover long exposed surfaces with removable shields. The workpiece is usually located on the support means and may be particularly difficult to shield around and the bottom of the support means. This is because the risk that the shield causes particle damage is difficult to locate and so that the grooved fasteners are not used in the chamber and can be expensive to form.

There may be two situations in manufacturing in other problems with the connection of the support means and the material.

One is that the work piece is smaller than and surrounding the support means, in which case an extra deposition material can be installed on the surface of the work material which causes the work material to adhere to the support means or cause subsequent disposition of the work material. .

The second is that the work material will bend the support means. This arrangement effectively shields the support means, but unwanted deposition can occur on both sides and on the backside of the workpiece (in some situations the manufacturer requires deposition on the edges).

The optimal solution to this problem is to provide a fixed shield on the periphery of the workpiece and the support means, but this has a number of disadvantages.

This first excludes deposition on the edge of the wafer. Secondly, this complicates the loading of the workpiece into the support. Essentially the entire support means is removed from the shield to give enough space for the wafer to be lifted from the support means and removed by the conveying device.

Quite often the support means have electrical, cooling, and mechanical connections, so moving the support means a lot of cost and complexity.

From one embodiment the present invention provides a workpiece support means for supporting a workpiece having an exposed surface facing the chamber, the material of the material, the material resource on which the layer is deposited, and means for loading and unloading the workpiece along the transport passage. And a device for depositing a layer of material on a work piece comprising a material resource limiting the amount of material deposited around or adjacent to the support means and the work piece, wherein the shield is in the transfer passage and the device is located. It characterized in that it further comprises a device for moving the shield out of the transport passage during the loading and unloading process.

The apparatus further includes, in some embodiments, another shield surrounding the support means for shielding the rear of the periphery of the workpiece, the other shield may shield the edge of the workpiece.

The shield first mentioned at the shielding position preferably forms a maze with support means, other shields or working means. The other shield has a radial extension to strengthen the maze.

The apparatus may further comprise means for raising or lowering the workpiece into or out of the conveying passage and the raising and lowering means constitute a device for moving the shield such that the workpiece raises the support means and the shield moves out of the conveying path. It can be connected to this.

The lifting and lowering means may comprise a liftable frame for conveying a first set of pins for connecting the workpiece and a second set of pins for connecting the shielding means.

The second tweezers can function as the support means of the first shield described above when it is likewise in a shielded position while the shield is in motion.

The other shield may extend radially downward to allow for greater deposition at the surface before deposition is formed to such a level that it contacts the workpiece backside or intervenes in workpiece transport.

The chamber may have or define a ledge, in which case the first shield described above may have a mating form when it is a shielded position and forms a maze.

The first shield has a shape that conforms to the peripheral shape of the workpiece, for example, for a generally circular semiconductor wafer, and generally its shape is circular.

From another embodiment, the present invention provides a second shield inserted between a material resource, a work material support means, a resource and a first shield that shields the first shield, and a first shield that shields the rear surface around the work material from the support means. It is composed of a device for a deposition layer comprising.

Although the present invention is limited to the above, it should be understood that it includes the inventive combination of the features described above or below.

The present invention can be implemented in various ways, specific embodiments of which are described with reference to the following figures, for example.

1 shows a computer simulation of edge shield, workpiece and workpiece support after a single deposition process.

2 is a simulation corresponding after the sputter target is consumed.

Figure 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of what is done in the region of the side of the shielding and supporting means corresponding to one embodiment of the invention.

4 and 5 are in accordance with FIG. 6 in accordance with FIG. 3 for another embodiment and in FIGS. 1 and 2 for another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a cross-sectional view of a more substantial portion of the chamber in which the embodiment of FIG. 3 is used.

8 is a view consistent with FIG. 7 for the embodiment of FIG. 6.

* Code Description

10: deposition apparatus 11: chamber

12: sputter target 13: wafer support means

14: transfer means 15: wafer transfer device

16: transfer path 17: semiconductor wafer

18: Ascendant 19: Illusion Shield

20: leading edge portion 21: deposition material

22: deposition 23: maze

25: overhang portion 26: radial extension

27: edge 29: pin

31: Ring 32,33: Reg

First, the deposition apparatus, which is consistent with FIGS. 7 and 8, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10, and schematically shows a chamber 11, a sputter target 12, a wafer support means 13, a wafer transfer hole 14, and an air filter. And a fur transfer device 15. The wafer transfer device 15 transfers the wafer along the transfer path 16.

As will be described in more detail below, the semiconductor wafer is once lifted from the support means 13 by the lifting device 18.

In this way, they are detailed from the conveying passage 16 and vice versa from this passage to the supporting means 13. The annular shield 19 is exposed between the support means 13 and the target 12 and is in the wafer transfer path 16 for reasons to be described later.

1 to 3, the relationship between the annular shield 19, the wafer 17, and the wafer support means 13 is described in more detail.

1 and 2, it is shown that the leading edge 20 of the annular shield 19 is caught by the wafer 17 and in turn by the support means 13.

It is shown that a cycle occurs and this results in a layer of material 21 deposited on the annular shield 19 as the shielding area is not much affected by deposition 22 on the wafer.

Extending the simulation in FIGS. 1 and 2 is equally applicable in the embodiments of the present invention and in the prior art described above. However, as described above, the position of the annular shield 19 may have loading and unloading problems and this is also the case on the backside of the wafer even if the maze 23 is made between the wafer 17 and the annular shield 19. It does not require sufficient protection against deposition.

As shown in FIG. 3, Applicant has provided another annular shield 24 around the support means 13 to be under the overhang portion 25 of the wafer 17 and to prevent it from being deposited therein. We have overcome the second problem.

The other shield is upright to protect the edges of the wafer 17 and extension 26 and has radial extensions extending along the bottom surface of the shield 19 to increase the effect of the labyrinth 23.

As shown in FIG. 3, a hole 28 is formed in the rear shield 24 to allow the lift pins 29 to pass and lift the wafer 17 from the support means 13.

The annular shield 19 is supported on another set of pins 30 and two sets of pins are carried by the ring as shown in FIG. 8. The ring has a first set of pins 29 that lifts the wafer 17 out of the transfer path 16 so that the wafer transfer device 15 has removed the wafer 17 and replaces it with the next one. 30) can be raised, raising the shield of the illusion.

Once the subsequent wafer is located in the first set of pins 29, the ring 31 is lowered such that the wafer 17 is in the support means 13 and the annular shield 19 is returned to the operating position.

It is shown that the annular shield 19 carries the L-shaped short side section element 32 at the outer side arranged to engage the ledge 33 of the inner chamber shield 34.

The two ledges 32 and 33 prevent most of the material from passing under the annular shield but provide a serpentine pump down passage shown by arrows in FIG.

The arrangements in FIGS. 4-6 and 8 illustrate a situation where material is intended to be deposited on the edge of the wafer. In this case, the annular shield 19 acts as a shield that limits the material deposited on the radial extension 26 'that descends from the exposed edge and does not extend to cover the edge. do.

The inclined structure of the extension 26 'means that it takes a considerable time to reach where the material to be deposited is inserted where the wafer 17 or transfer is located.

On the other hand, the arrangement operates in the same manner as the arrangement shown in Figs. Redundancy is made at 34 and 35. This arrangement presents a fairly effective solution to the above problem.

Indeed, the shielding demonstrates that repetitive and continuous deposition on the wafer can be achieved without replacement of the shield and unwanted backside or edge deposition throughout the life of the target.

This arrangement eliminates the need for the support means to move between each wafer, even if progressive movement of the support means towards the target occurs to compensate for the target being consumed.

This arrangement is particularly convenient in this case because it allows easy adjustment of the shield position by changing the rest position of the ring. The transport path position can likewise be adjusted.

In certain process arrangements, the pre-position position for the support means and the annular shield 19 can be selected to the appropriate specific process step.

This arrangement is particularly desirable because it can provide back shielding in particular in FIGS. 4 to 6 and 8 arrangements and the annular shield position in the transport plane can be one of the choices.

Claims (12)

Work material support means for supporting a work material having an exposed surface facing the chamber, the material of the material, the material material on which the layer is deposited, means for loading and unloading the work material along a transport passage and the support means and support means. Or a device for depositing a layer of material on a work piece comprising a material resource limiting the amount of material deposited at or adjacent to the work piece, And the device is within the transport passage and the device moves the shield out of the transport passage during the loading and unloading process. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shield around the support means for shielding the rear surface around the workpiece. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the shield position the first shield forms a maze, another shield or workpiece with support means. The device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the other shield has a radial extension. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for raising or lowering the workpiece from the conveying passage. 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said raising or lowering means is joined or connected to a device for moving the shield. 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said lifting or lowering means comprises a liftable frame carrying a first set of pins for connecting the workpiece and a second set of pins for connecting the shield. The device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the other shield shields the edge of the work piece. The device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the other shield is lowered as it extends radially outward so that deposition occurs at the edge of the workpiece. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber has a ledge formation or confinement, and the labyrinth forms a maze when the first shield has a conforming and cooperating shape and the first shield is in a shielded position. For depositing a layer comprising a resource of material, a workpiece support means, a first shield shielding the back surface of the workpiece on the support means and a second shield inserted between the resource and the first shield to shield the first shield; Device. Apparatus for depositing a layer as defined above and in the figures accordingly.